Liquefied petroleum gas lighter



April 29, 1952 p, W, FELT 2,594,754

LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS LIGHTER Original Filed May 15, 1950 Snventor PAU l W. F E I T (Ittorneg Patented Apr. 29, 1952 LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS LIGHTER Paul W. Felt, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul Minnesota Minn., a corporation of Application July 11, 1951, Serial No. 236,261, which is a division of application Serial No. 161,874, May 13, 1950, now Patent No. 2,561,270, dated July 17, 19.51. Divided and .this application January 26, 1952, Serial No. 268,398

2 claims, (crm-7.1)

My invention relates to a gas pyrophoric lighter and similar articles where it is desired to provide a storage compartment for compressed petroleum fuel which is adapted to be used for the flame of a lighter or similar article. This application is a division of application Serial No. 236,261, filed July 11, 1951, now pending, which is a division of application Serial No. 161,874, which issued into Patent No. 2,561,270, dated July 17, 1951.

A feature resides in providing a small compact pyrophoric lighter which can be readily carried in the pocket and which comprises a small number of parts.

A further feature of my lighter resides in providing an automatic valve which permits the gas chamber to be easily filled from a suitably designed cartridge in which liquefied petroleum fuel is contained. The automatic Valve is protected by an outer valve cap which closes the Valve chamber from the outer atmosphere and which is adapted to be removed so that the cartridge containing the liquefied compressed petroleum fuel can be applied to the valve by screwing the cartridge into the valve opening which automatically pierces the cartridge and permits the `petroleum fuelto expand into the storage chamber of the lighter. The storage chamber may be filled with suitable absorbent material.

.A further feature resides in providing a lighter with a simple gas escapement valve together with means for automatically opening said valve at the same time that the flint wheel is operated to throw a Dyrophoric spark over the nozzle of the escapement valve simultaneously with the opening of the gas escapement valve.

fled compressed petroleum fuel for the flame of the lighter, doing away with the need for a wick like that used in old types of lighters, and providing a lighter' which will give a large number of lights before requiring refilling from the cartridge which supplies the liqueiied compressed petroleum fuel; In this manner, I provide a lighter without the objectionable odor from gasoline or the like 'which does not require refilling Very often under ordinary circumstances and wherein the liquefied compressed petroleum fuel can be supplied from storage cartridges of a comparatively small nature, yet providing a large volume of liquefied petroleum fuel.

The method includes a lighter which is adapte .ed to be iilled from a cartridge'which contains the compressed liquefied petroleum fuel under The lighter is also provided with an operating Y lever and a cover which is automaticallyraised when the lever for operating the escapement valve and the flint wheel is operated. A spring means is provided to normally keep the lever in g position to close the cover.

K A primary feature of my lighter and gas container resides in providing a storage compartf ment for the liquefied petroleum fuel to hold the same under pressure set up by the liqueed fuel and to introduce this liquefied petroleum fuel i into the storage compartment of the lighter from an auxiliary cartridgeV designed to iill the lighter through the valve which automatically closes as the cartridge is'withdrawn and in the providing of a simple escapement valve adjacent the int wheel and pyrophoric element which is operated 'simultaneously with the operation of the int wheel' by one hand. This method provides a means of filling a pyrophorlc lighter with liquesufficient pressure to maintain the fuel liquid and which liquid is injected into the lighter by simply screwing the cartridge against the filler valve which automatically closes as the cartridge is withdrawn. The iiller valve is formed with a testing'stem which lifts the valve sufficiently to indicate whether or not the storage compartment of the lighter is empty before applying a filled cartridge of liquefied compressed petroleum fuel to the valve.

These features, together with details of my lighter and the method of filling and operating the same, will be thoroughly and fully defined.

In the drawings forming part of this specication: I Figure 1 is an enlarged side viewof my lighter in pocket form.v y Y l Figure 2 is a vertical section of my pocketlight- Figure 3 is a perspective View of the valve ,operating lever removed from the lighten The lighter A may be of any suitable design,

size or formation, and when made to be carried in ones pocket, it is desirable that it-be small and flat or compact so as to be easily carried.

Thelighter A is 'formed with a body portion I0 made of anyl suitable material yandinas an inner compartment I-I which maybe virtually filled. with absorbent cottonV l2 Vand which is` adapted to bev saturated with the liquefied petroleum'fuel when the lighter is filled. T he casing or body I0 is formed with an inwardly projecting socket portion I3 which extends into the chamber I I and forms a support for the inlet valve I4 which maybe in the formof a Buna-N rubber ball adapted to ,be-confined within the chamber I5. Passageways I6 are formed in the top of the member I3 above the ball valve I4 which permit gas to be injected into the conipartment Il when the ball valve I4 is raised by the pressure `of the compressed liqueed'petroleum fuel flowing into the compartment of the lighter.

The ball valve iii is held in the member I1 which is threaded into the socket member .t3 and bears against the sealing washer IB which also may be made of Buna-N rubber. The mem ber I1 is formed with a depending puncturing element I9. The piercing element I9 is formed with an axial passageway extending through the same. Extending through the passageway "26, I provide a valve relief rod 21I which is formed with a head 22 which normally engages the ball valve I4 so that the valve I4 can be lifted by pressing on the lower end of the rod 2L This permits gas to escape through the hole IS and out through the passageway 29 to indicate whether lor not there is any 'compressed liqueed petroleum or gas remaining in the 'chamber II. n this manner the user of my lighter lcan test :the same to see if it 'needs refilling before applying a filling cartridge to the valve i4.

`I providea deep Bun'a-N 'rubbersealing washer V23 which surrounds "the piercing element 'i9 and against which the noise 223 is adapted to press when the threaded neck 25 of the cartridge B -is engaged 'with the threads 26 'formed vin fthe member -I3 as 'illustrated in Figure 3. Before' placing "the cartridge B into engagement with the threads 26, the closure "cap 21 is removed. The closure cap 21 carries a 'sealing washer 28 sfo as to close the lower end of the inlet 'valve chamber. This insures the sealing of -thechaniber II s'o'that gas will not'es'cape 'from the -va-lve I4 or Vthe 'relief valve stem 21 cannot be 'engaged until the Vcap 21 vis removed.

The :lighter A is provided with lan escapernent valve assembly 29 which is sealed in position by 'the Buna-N rubber O-ring washer 3G 'and the Buria-N valve 3l. This escapement valve Aassembly'29 is provided with a nozzle -32 having `'an axial passageway 33 'out of which the gas Afrom the 'chamber II is permitted to escape 'when -a light is desired. The nozzle 32 is normally held in closed position against 'the -un'ai-N valve 3d `vby the coil spring "as "illustrated, to 'provide V*a shiit=oi valve.

A valve vleak disc 35 `is provided *which permits the gas to pass from the chamber I I to the 'axial 'opening '35 formed in Vthe '-b'ody of llthe Yescapement valve assembly 29 so that when the Trio'zzle 321s lifted 'away from the valve-3 I, gas will `pass through the passageway 33 and escape adjacent the pyrophoric flint 31.

The Hint wheel 38 operates 'to throw "a spark from the `pyrophoric 'iii'nt'3-1` -ltoward the fnozzle 32. The operation of the wheel`38 is simultaneous with the lifting of `the lnozzle 3-2 which -opens the escapement valve assembly 29. The iiint wheel 38 is operated by the hand lever V39 which is pivoted at 4I) and is held normally elevated in position `ets-illustrated in Figure 42 yby thespring 4 I.

.A -valve lifting lever 42 Vis formed with afh'le 43 and a bifurcated end 44 and is positioned below the lever 39, 'as illustrated in Figure 2, and straddl'es theilint tube 45 which extends through the hole 43 so that when the lever 39 is pressed 'sharply downward, the bifurcatedend of the lever will engage under the shoulder 45 of "the nozzle v32 raising the'same sufficiently to open the valve 3l of the escapement `valve assembly 29.

In the operation of the lever 39 which is ac complished by one hand, the flint wheel 38 is autornatically rotated on -its 'axis .38' to throw a spark over the nozzle 32 as gas escapes from the same and simultaneously lifting the cover 41. -In this manner, my lighter A is easily operated to light the escaping gas from the nozzle 32. As 'the escaping `gas is lit, the resultant flame may be maintained by keeping the lever 39 depressed. However, as Ksoon as the lever 39 is released, the spring 4I will elevate the same, closing the cover 41 and simultaneously closing the valve 3l. The moment the lever 39 is released, the spring 34 `closes .the valve '3| shutting oi the escapement of 'gas and-extinguishing the name.

I claim:

1. A pyrophoric liquefied petroleum lighter having a vpressure-tight body, the Walls of which form a chamber for receiving a liqueed petroleum fuel under pressure, van outlet vvalve nozzle extending through a wall of said body, said latter wall having a `stepped portion, a flint tube having a flint resiliently mounted therein adjacent said valve nozzle, -a iiint abrading wheel for said int, a finger piece lever pivotally mounted to said body, a valve -lifting lever lying on said body below said linger piece, one -end of which slidably engages the inner `surface of said finger piece and the other end of which engages said outlet valve nozzle, said valve 'lifting lever having a concave portion extenzling rinto said stepped portion of 'said wall, 'said concave portion forming a fulcrum with said stepped portionof said wall to operate said valve, said finger piece operating said flint wheel to shower sparksjo'ver said outlet val-ve nozzle vand simultaneously operating said leverto vlift said valve `nozzle 'to open the same.

2. A pyrophori'c liquefied 'petroleum lighter vhaving a pressure-tight body, :the walls of 'which form a chamber for receiving liquefied petrleum fuel under pressure, an outlet valve nozzle extending through a wall of said body, said latter Wall having a stepped portion, an inlet'check valve mounted in a wall of said body, Va flint tube having a flint vresiliently mounted therein 'positioned adjacent 'said valve nozzle, a flint abrading Wheel for said iiint, a iingerloperated lever having a concave portion extending into said stepped portion of said wall, said lever 'ha-ving fend means for engaging said valve :nozzle "to openthe outlet valve nozzle when said'flint wheel operates to shower sparks -ov'er'said outlet valve Tnozzle Ato ignite lgas escaping therefrom -and to hold a flame while said finger lever is depressed, said vconcave Vportion forming a fulcrinn -'with said stepped portion of said wallt'o operate-said `valve.

PAUL KW. REFERENCES CITED The following references are 'of 'record lin the le "of this patent:

`UNITED STATES PATENTS 

